Kate Croy Timeline and Summary

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• Kate opens the book by speaking with her father and saying she wants to stand by his side even though her rich Aunt Maud has forbidden her from ever seeing him again. Her father, though, tells her to go away and to get all the money she can from Aunt Maud and send him some. He doesn't care one way or the other if they ever see one another again.
• It also turns out that Kate wants to marry a young man named Merton Densher. But Merton is poor and her father won't approve of him.
• It sounds like Aunt Maud will stop giving Kate money if she marries Merton, because Merton is too poor. Kate's daddy wants to get his hands on some of Kate's allowance.
• Kate meets with Merton and tells him that they'll have to be secretive about their relationship for the time being.
• Merton leaves for New York, but before he does the two of them become secretly engaged.
• At a dinner party at Aunt Maud's, Kate meets the beautiful young Milly Theale and her older friend, Susan Stringham. Kate and Milly become fast friends.
• Kate finds out from Merton (who is in New York), that he actually met Milly before she came out to Europe. The fact that Milly knows Merton and doesn't mention his name makes Kate suspect that Milly has a bit of a crush on him.
• After accompanying Milly to the doctor's office, Kate gets wind of the fact that Milly is suffering from what might be a terminal illness.
• When Merton gets back from New York, he and Kate go to hang out in the National Gallery, a place where no one will recognize them. It's just their luck, though, that Milly happens to be there at the same time. She sees them together and suspects they're in love.
• Knowing what she does, Kate makes an effort to convince Milly that she (Kate) is not interested in Merton, even though he might have a small thing for her.
• Milly decides to go travelling to Italy to help make herself feel better. Kate travels there with Aunt Maud and Merton in tow.
• While they're in Italy, Kate tells Merton to make a move on Milly. It turns out that she wants Merton to marry Milly so that he can get her money when she dies. Then he'll have enough for him and Kate to get married.
• As Milly is dying, Kate is called back to her sister's house to take care of her father, who seems to be going through a mental crisis.
• Merton comes to visit her, and she confirms from a letter that Milly has left him her fortune. Everything looks like it's going to work out. But at the last second, Merton gives her an ultimatum: she either marries him without the money or keeps the money for herself. She can't have both.
• Henry James leaves it unclear what choice Kate has made, although it doesn't look good for Merton.